“Why Work?" ... a recruiting campaign initiated by IBM in the late 90s.
The recruiting campaign sought to match people’s passions to the work at IBM. By asking “Why Work?” recruiters were in effect asking prospective employees what their passions were, what they wanted their colleagues to be like. They wanted to think about what made work important to them. In (Keith) Yamashita’s words, the campaign “played not to the lowest common denominator, but the highest shared common purpose.” (source: Wordcraft, pg 211.)
Highest shared common purpose ... now that's a powerful idea. An idea that will play in my mind for years to come.
"Highest shared common purpose". How very Cluetrain of them. Easy enough to do if you make computers... i.e. if the industry you're in is "90% Lisa's, 10% Barts".
All the marketing advice I get in the blogopshere these days is about marketing to "High Lisa Factor" companies... Fair enough, but the money's in the "High Bart Factor" companies. The Lisa companies are already awash in wannabe marketing gurus...
Posted by: hugh macleod | June 04, 2004 at 05:54 PM